When planning for an extended family session, picking out a location can be a bit tricky - especially when you're working with several families who may have different visions for locations or may want to consider closer travel. I love photographing these sessions, and I'm willing to work with you to plan out every detail from scheduling to finding a location to helping you with outfits. I'll be here every step of the way! But for now, let's chat locations and I encourage you to take a look at some of my favorite spots for these sessions.

Tips For Picking a Location:

  • Consider the "look" that the location may have. Are you looking for greenery, or more architecture? Somewhere with good foliage, florals, or great water backdrops? We'll work with one another to figure out an ideal spot for our photos
  • Make note of where everyone will be traveling from. It may be helpful to look into an area that works for all members of the family, and may be in the middle mark for everyone to travel to.
  • Look for a location with variety. This is not necessarily a must, but definitely a great point to consider. When you book a session with JENNAKPHOTOS, one of the things I pride myself on is trying to create variety - whether that is different posing, groupings, or even different backdrops, we'll get it done! Consider choosing a location which may have more than just one thing. F

Sayen Gardens

Sayen Gardens is located in Hamilton, NJ and is by far by favorite location. This spot has a bit of everything - some gorgeous greenery (year round), foliage for Fall, florals for Spring and Summer, you name it. There’s some hidden gems at this location as well such as great pathways, bridges, gazebos, etc. This is a great spot for extended family sessions since there is a bit of everything here! It’s also perfect for kids since there’s a ton of grassy areas, making it great for fun space to run around!

Princeton University

Coming in close second, Princeton University is another great spot for extended family sessions. There's lots of variety here as well - architecture, stairways, greenery, ivy, arches, pathways, etc. Bonus points: It's perfect for Fall foliage photo sessions!

John Abbott II House

I have shot a few extended family sessions at this spot and have loved it! Located in Hamilton, NJ, the John Abbott II House is a hidden gem not many consider for their session! This spot happens to have a great historical house with a yellow front porch, and the back has a red porch! Not only that, there’s some great grassy areas with lots of shade, a bench area, pathways, and more. It’s a great spot for something simple, and even better, the front porch is long which is great to fit more people in the photo!

The Beach

Who doesn’t love the beach? This location is great if you’re a beach loving family, or simply just love the look of it. My personal go to for photos is Asbury park, but I’m always willing to work with you and visit your beach of choice for a session! Capture photos at your family beach home, splashing in the waves, or walking the boardwalk - it’s the perfect spot for a fun extended family session, most definitely in the Summer!

Grass Field

There’s many grass field areas which look great for photos - but we may need to go searching for the best spot near you! This shot was taken in Old Bridge, NJ and happened to have a beautiful field location which we took advantage of! However, there are definitely some great field areas near you. There are a few great ones in Lawrence, NJ that I often visit during the Summer for golden hour - it’s make for even more a perfect backdrop when the sun is setting behind you!

Your Home

This is a simple, but sweet one! Having your extended family session can be great - everyone is comfortable in a space they’re familiar with, and this may be more ideal depending where everyone could be traveling from! Bonus points; you’ll know the best photo spots when you’re at home, since you already know the area! 

Which location is your favorite?

I personally love all of the above, but I may be prone to liking locations with lots of greenery and variety!


If you're looking to schedule an extended family session of your own, let's do it! Feel free to explore more blogs about extended family sessions below, or head over to the Blog tab for even more.